Information is power
One of the most common defects in the design of a customer acquisition strategy is the absence of a specific study of each potential buyer. Improvisation and over-reliance on the dialectical resources of so-called “target salesmen” often yield little benefit.
- Previous investigation. “The key to not wasting time with a customer is to reach them with as much information as possible about their business. You have to know who is the person with the decision about purchases, what is the best date to propose an offer, with which companies you work and what is the degree of satisfaction you have with them. Any data on their professional profile, however minimal it may seem, can be decisive when we face direct contact ”, says Ángel Samaniego, manager of the Institute of Business Education.
- The best recommendation. The more we know about the client's interests, the easier it will be for us to serve them and establish a lasting relationship. The best way to enter the scheme of a company is to go with a reference that endorses our product.
For Ángel Moraleda, director of the Business Services Unit, “a professional reference is an introduction that a client makes to others who are not yet. The objective is to achieve a good entrance with the new client and, if possible, a familiar treatment ”. However, other experts advocate techniques that only require the introducer to provide us with a name and phone number.
- The power of imagination. In any case, and as a last resort, you can bet on imaginative solutions. As Samaniego points out, “the ideal is to have a contact with a true professional connection, but if we don't have one, we can use a trick. For example, looking at the organization chart of the potential client and choosing a false reference among their superiors. The client will not discover the deception because, once the negotiation begins, he will not bother to verify it.
The call
Many salespeople avoid cold calling potential customers because they are not comfortable requesting interviews with strangers. The best way to raise the temperature is to tackle them with a good reference and previous research. If we can meet both requirements, we will be prepared to make a short and concise call, according to the scheme proposed by Moraleda:
- Presentation. We must say the name of the client when greeting him, and clearly pronounce ours, the company in which we work and the position we occupy. Justification. Always offer a reason why we call.
- Petition. When requesting the interview, we will do so with a clear and firm voice. We will propose two alternatives for the meeting (two days and two different hours).
- Fired. If the client has accepted the interview, we must confirm the place, date and time of the celebration. If you have not accepted it, we would be grateful for your attention.
However, none of these techniques will be satisfactory if it is not developed with full moral conviction. The salesperson must enjoy the relationships he maintains with customers and convince himself that he is calling them because he is in a position to offer them benefits. By reaching a degree of cordiality, you have made your interlocutors more receptive.
How they differentiate us
In fact, studies carried out by W&S Consultores Comerciales confirm that a potential client differentiates the offers of its suppliers by the following parameters, from highest to lowest importance: one, the seller himself; two, the company it represents, and three, the offer of products, solutions and services that it presents.
Although there are no behavioral guidelines that guarantee success, experts agree in pointing out these three commandments when we communicate with a potential buyer:
- Listen to what they tell us. Through their words, the client is telling us the judgment that our behavior deserves: if we are very aggressive, if we express ourselves convincingly, if our presentations are short or are too long, etc.
- Learn from their reactions. We must perceive these messages and know how to interpret them to get the interview, but also to improve our technique and use them in the future.
- Never rush. If we fulfill the two previous points, we will discover when we should move forward and when it is not convenient to insist.
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